TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

  

VIEWING ALL POSTS FOR: OCTOBER 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

7:24 PM
Posted by jodi rose

One of the things I enjoy most about this life is the strange juxtapositions. Spent the morning walking around the Latin Quarter, tasting cheese, wine and foie gras - courtesy of my one currently viable employer, nice perk if you can get it ;) - then back to the usual dire circumstances in the afternoon. Writing as hard as I can!

...although as ernest hemingway said in his ode to paris; we were poor but happy.

Monday, October 27, 2008

4:34 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Did I quote this already, can't remember, sadly, still applies.

Willem de Kooning - "The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all your time."

Paris is craziness; non-stop meeting and talking with various artists and people who are keen to play on bridges with me. It's fantastic to have all this support and recognition, just working on increasing the funding to go along with it! Thought I might find myself a galerist at the opening of Slick Art Fair; so far nothing, but had a good night at cent quatre 104 new art space, hanging out with Olivier, Gael, Heiko, Ewen and assorted others. Friday night was Pixelache dinner and a lovely bar over the basin la villette, and Saturday the book launch for a series of works by Brandon Le Belle at Palais de Tokyo, followed by a wild night ride through Paris on the velib (city bikes everywhere; not free and very complicated system to work at first; plus varying quality of bike repair, but fun once you get one that goes!) with JB and Claudia, going the scenic route along the river and through the marais to rue rivoli. Found the wholesale production of nightlife as a cultural economy kinda overwhelming, but will be out there participating in it tonight at Justin's farewell drinks. More art invitations than I can keep up with right now; a vinyl release in the works; and had a long rave with the wonderful Alan, who builds and specialises in vibration microphones, he was very kind about my work and enthusiastic about doing something on a bridge together in the future. Time to go write up proposal no.2 with mu and then cobble together a few more words for my bread and butter travel articles. If anyone wants to publish me somewhere else, please get in touch; I can be coherent; really!!! Especially when not using the quirky French keyboard. Living in a tiny cabin but it has hot water, cooking facilities, and the best sleep I've had in years, on the street that turns into the Pont Neuf; so that makes me very happy; as you can imagine.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

10:01 PM
Posted by jodi rose

a few words from sturovo, nostalgic trip back to the bridge guard residence. cried when I saw the esztergom basilica from the train. never had that reaction before. strange mix of emotions, being where it all started, after my crazy danube boat trip.
found all the practical details I need to get to paris tomorrow - ec hungaria train to bratislava, bus from the train station to airport, orly bus and metro into town. already have insane schedule for the week, meetings, sound stuff and social. paris is rockin' xxj

Monday, October 13, 2008

4:44 PM
Posted by jodi rose

The other thing I was contemplating at the zagreb fleamarket yesterday, was buying a beautifully decrepit green typewriter, mainly for the logo 'Olympia... Traveller deluxe' for only 50 kuna. Some of the key stuck a little, and we found more specimens in better working order a few rows along, the IBM travller for instance.. Still thinking about it, but what really stopped me was the realisation that it would be impossible to get it online with wifi. Hmmm.

So, today's brilliant survival plan is courtesy of Philippa. Yes, it's the 'BUY JODI LUNCH' campaign. Also breakfast, dinner, drinks and a laptop.

Stay tuned for more details, the website launch, and calendar with dates to specify, and where the photo of the meal and the sponsor will appear.

For now though, if you're feeling inclined to support the world's most ludicrous artstar in her continued meanderings along, around, under and about bridges... feel free to transfer money to my paypal account.

jodi at singingbridges dot net

It's for a good cause really... survival while continuing to create and write.

That's all for today, off to meet my lovely landlord for the winter island hermit retreat.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

4:34 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Still a little lost in the fog: Had a wonderful adventure this morning, out to the fleamarket at Hrelic, which involved the no. 6 tram and a long walk along a steep levee (or levy, the raised bank along the river anyway. my english is disappearing with no other language to replace it. scary) with absolutely no idea where we were going. Following a steady stream of people - who could all have been walking to the next village, or a football stadium, for all we knew... but eventually found ourselves in the car market, described by stefanovic over skype from london when he gave philippa the directions; narrowly escaped leaving in her new car - he warned me they are all broken, but look at that vw gold!!) to lose ourselves again in the alleys of car parts, cheap imported clothes, and finally, piles of other peoples stuff arranged on blankets and tarps. Spent ages finding stories in a series of family photos from the 60's, and I picked up a few pure wool bargains for my winter writer's wardrobe - going for the eccentric version of a 40's katherine hepburn style - and enjoyed a 5 kuna kav in one of the wooden shelters serving food - next time I'll try the cevapci too. Drifted back along the river, could see a little on the other side by now, but the internal fog hasn't lifted. If anything it's denser than ever.

Ideas, plans, suggestions, all welcome.

signing off now, limited resources and net access, must conserve energy!

Friday, October 10, 2008

4:02 PM
Posted by jodi rose

The second series of Not Quite Art begins this coming Tuesday (14th) on ABC1. It will be repeated the following Sunday at 7pm on ABC2.

All of which means, if you haven't already, you must - as a true and loyal friend of the show - do the following (in descending order of importance):

+ Find someone who has a ratings box and arrange for them to host a "Not Quite Art screening party" on the night. I would be more than happy to call in and speak to each person attending personally.

+ Mention it on your blog, radio show, web site, Alcoholics anonymous meeting, church group, or drop it into random conversations around your work place.

+ Watch it on TV!

+ Download it next week (after it has been on TV)

+ Come to our premiere screening on Tuesday night at Horse Bazaar.

apparently, yours truly can be seen on the 14th Oct, raving to Marcus on a bridge in Singapore... let me know if the rumours are true!!! xj

Friday, October 10, 2008

11:31 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Wednesday is Hemingway's, lounging in the sun between joining a press scrum and running after a woman who gave birth to 2 babies from her separate wombs, possibly fathered by 2 different men, for croatia's edgiest soap opera - thanks Tomislav for roping me into that!! 'Who's the father of your baby?'

Thursday is exploring art galleries - Belgrade student centre conceptual art from the 70's at Galerija Nova; 15th century etchings at grafike gallery; and dropping into the welcoming mama netspace.
Evening's entertainment was going to Edwin's exhibition of Anna Magnani photos - fabulous woman, so passionate and strong; he told us that while shooting the film with Marlon Brando about a 20 yr old man having a love affair with a 45 year old woman, they did! She rocks. Itaian actresses, I love that they can be dark and curvy, it's sucha relief from the idiotic global mainstreaming of beauty. Followed by after-party at some fashion-week event, where the models all conformed to the extremely tall, thin and gaunt ideal - we had too much fun dancing in the vip area, where everyone else just looked pained and way too cool to enjoy themselves.

Today is catching up on some conceptual admin work; meeting Philippa at Flores and seeing where the evening takes us. I could get used to this kind of life.....

and here's a quick plug for my wonderful friend JB, who has created an alternative place online for anyone who doesn't want to be part of the media empire, try my own space!!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

12:52 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Low-key quiet week in Berlin

Did lots of photo archiving, coffee with a few friends, D.Rock fixed my contact mikes - you rock! - and random strangers helped me lug suitcases up and down temporary stairs at schlesiches tor u-bahn in my endless attempts to deal with material side to this nomadic life. One one cellar to another.

Even resolved the bicycle incident with my Finnish friend, after the long ride up danziger str - I always forget just how far prenzlauer berg is from kreuzberg - and plans to build a sauna in the hof are underway. (Or so I thought, it appears to have flared up again now - weird how the simplest of things get so messy sometimes, I truly don't understand people, they can be very tricky. Strange undercurrents.)

Now in Zagreb for what promises to be a relaxing and possibly trashy visit with Philippa - already initiated into the cafe flores culture, see how easily you can spend hours, days, weeks there people watching (in her case, 5 months, or so she tells me); and today have promised to appear as an extra if needed in local soap. The sun is shining, the town is gorgeous, life is truly amazing - even on 30 kuna a day. With friends, you can go anywhere!!

Friday, October 3, 2008

8:06 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Back to Berlin and staying with the lovely edwige in the same block where I lived all those years ago; the first time I was here, overlooking gorlitzer park and wondering how to make it all happen.

Guess it's all happening now, be careful what you wish for; as they say.

Friday in Strasbourg was surprisingly relaxing, hung out with Phil N on the bench next to our boat in the sun, people kept arriving so I didn't feel like leaving, making the lost of every last second on the water. Realise now how completely I had lost my grip by that last weekend; something approaching equilibrium has returned; although as Philippa said when she rang me in Maniz 'to check you're still sane... but you're clearly not!' think the sanity is a long-lost cause. Oh well, so much for reintegrating into society, much better to stay with the freaks and geeks, people like me who understand the nature of these things.

Stayed out way too late at the worlds worst techno party, circling the many performance venues in a limbo, looking for somewhere to dance. Went on six audio cruises with different live performances and works by the boat artists - definitely the highlight of the last event.

Made my way back to Berlin in a daze, the relentless intensity of the whole experience has left me confused and dizzy, although with a fabulous new sound art family and already blossoming collaborations.

Really in the frame of mind now to go into hermit mode for the winter and live under a rock; thank god I'm getting out of Berlin, no-one will suggest I go to any experimental music gigs or stay out late in bars.

Slowly sorting through the archive and uploading photos to my flickr page; writing proposals and arranging Paris/Brussels/Ljubljana/Croatia gigs in between batches.

JODI PHOTOS

Had a wonderful day or two hanging out with Edwige, catching up with one or two Berlin friends, otherwise keeping a very low profile.

Bring on the winter tempest; after surviving the boat; I fear nothing!!!